A study was conducted to determine which school meal should be removed from the weekly rotation. Every student in the school was asked to rank their top three school lunches. Tuna melts were found to be the least-flavored option, with only 7.8 percent of students ranking tuna melts in their top three choices. Which of the following accurately differentiates whether this is an example of an observational study, an experimental study, or a survey.
1 answer
This is an example of a survey because the study simply involved gathering data from the students by asking them to rank their top three school lunches. There was no manipulation of variables or intervention by the researchers, which would be characteristics of an experimental study. Additionally, there was no direct observation of behavior or outcomes, which would be characteristics of an observational study.